Australian Sports Commission chairman and prominent Melbourne businessman
John Wylie
is enthusiastically showing off his iPad.

But the managing director of Lazard Australia, who is one of the country’s most powerful investment bankers, isn’t talking about following the financial markets or merger and acquisition deals on his tablet.

Rather, he’s discussing the merits of the cricket coaching app he uses as coach of an under-14s cricket team. The app allows the user to record vision of someone playing a certain cricket shot like the cut, pull or hook. The vision can then be synchronised to play on a split-screen alongside vision of a famous Australian player playing the same shot.

That way, Wylie says, a fledgling cricketer can compare their style with that of their heroes, and make adjustments to improve their game.

“It’s that old maxim, a picture is worth a thousand words," Wylie tells The Australian Financial Review in the boardroom of Lazard’s Collins Street office, which has a handy view of the nearby Melbourne Cricket Ground.

“When you tell a kid ‘hold the bat this way’ their eyes glaze over. When you show them a picture it’s different. You can synchronise it to show them playing the shot at the same time as someone like
Michael Clarke
. It’s fantastic."

Wylie describes himself as “one of those problem people" who uses an iPhone, iPad and Blackberry. The first two are used for work and cricket coaching, while the Blackberry is primarily for email.

“I’m a bit of a technology junkie," Wylie explains.

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“Technology in terms of what it does to your life, you can look at it as a glass half full or a glass half empty. You can look at it as something that means you’re chained to your phone and never away from the office.

“But I look at it as a glass half full in that it liberates you in your capacity to be functioning and effective while you’re on the road."

Technology is playing a big part in his role at the Australian Sports Commission, which he took on last September. Part of that job has been to find alternative revenue streams for those Olympic sports that are, owing to disappointing results at the 2012 London Olympic Games, unlikely to receive more federal government funding.

Wylie says smartphone apps could be one answer and wants the ASC to help foster development of them. His vision is to see famous swimmers giving coaching tips through the apps or someone like Sally Pearson teaching proper hurdling techniques.

“The professional sports are getting extremely well organised in this area and the AFL and cricket have very good coaching smartphone apps available now.

“What those smartphone apps do is democratise knowledge about best practice coaching. And they are fun," he says.

The ASC has a competitive innovation funding pool, where sports will tender for $1.5 million annual funding for technology-related initiatives designed to boost coaching or on-field performance.

Wylie says the smartphone apps are a great example of where the innovation funding could be used.

“We think there is a big opportunity across a wide range of sports for the ASC to effectively promote these things," he says.

“And to provide some seed funding to see that happen and to effectively act as a seed funder, promoter and clearing house."